πωρόω (pōroō)
pōroō
to harden
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb pōroō means to harden or make dull, carrying the vivid image of forming a callus or turning to stone. Its root relates to poros, a type of stone, which explains why the word describes a physical stiffening that becomes a metaphor for spiritual insensitivity. In Scripture, it is not merely stubbornness but a profound dulling of perception where the heart loses its capacity to understand.
This action is most often directed at the human heart or mind, as seen when John records that Jesus’ miracles led people to have their hearts hardened (John 12:40). Paul uses it in Romans 11:7 to describe how a large portion of Israel did not obtain what they sought, their minds being closed off. The passive form appears in 2 Corinthians 3:14, suggesting that this hardening can be a state one falls into rather than just an act done by another.
Translators typically render pōroō as "hardened," capturing the finality of the condition. Unlike simple refusal to listen, this term implies a pathological state where understanding becomes impossible, much like skin that has lost its sensitivity due to repeated friction or exposure. The sources highlight its use in both the New Testament and the Septuagint, emphasizing a deep, structural resistance to truth.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word pōroō paints a vivid picture of spiritual numbness, like skin that has lost its sensitivity through repeated friction. It describes more than simple stubbornness; it is a deep dulling where the heart loses its capacity to understand truth. When we read about hearts being hardened in Mark or John, we see a condition where perception becomes blocked, making it difficult to respond to God’s presence.
This reality invites us to examine our own spiritual sensitivity. We are not called to remain in this state of insensitivity but to seek the softening that comes from grace. The Bible acknowledges this struggle honestly, showing that even those who witnessed miracles could fall into a state of closed minds. It reminds us that understanding is a gift we continually need.
Yet there is hope in this teaching. The same scriptures that describe hardening also point to the removal of veils and the healing that follows turning back to God. We can trust that God’s grace is powerful enough to soften even the most resistant hearts, inviting us into a life of clearer perception and deeper faith.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- were hardened2×
- has hardened1×
- hardened.1×
- Hardened1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἐπώρωσεν1×
- ἐπωρώθησαν1×
- ἐπωρώθη1×
- πεπωρωμένην1×
- πεπωρωμένη.¶1×
Key Verses
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Mark 8:17
Jesus, perceiving it, said to them, “Why do you reason that it’s because you have no bread? Don’t you perceive yet or understand? Is your heart still hardened?
Jesus directly questions his disciples about their hardened hearts, linking their failure to understand the miracle of the loaves to this spiritual condition.
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John 12:40
“He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and would turn, and I would heal them.”
This verse quotes Isaiah to show that hardening is part of a divine pattern where people are prevented from seeing and turning for healing.
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Romans 11:7
What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened.
Paul uses the term to explain why most of Israel did not obtain righteousness, contrasting them with the chosen ones who received it.